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Setting - Mexico
Heroes from the United States are in for a surprise if they cross the border armed with nothing but images from the media. Sure, they'll find a desert landscape with oppressive heat, but if they travel a few miles further, they will find snowy mountains, green woodlands, turquoise seas, jade jungles, and bustling towns and cities, big and small in the midst of this varied environmental wonder. Mexico is a developing country rife with sharp contrasts, home to some of the richest people in the world at the same time as staggering poverty rates; top-notch scientific research a few buildings away from floundering education standards, and tales of selfless heroics in the midst of rampant corruption. Mexico is a country at odds with itself, and it grew this way by design. Mexico is a country close enough for many heroes to make a quick trip. As opposed to media stereotypes, Mexico isn't that different from the United States: large cities host a modern and sophisticated society that enjoys the latest technological advances, while rural areas are places where tradition reigns supreme and slides toward the backwater. However, as friendly and cooperate as Mexican authorities are to the PRA and superpowered visitors, American heroes often find resistance among the locals as soon as they try to do anything. Having a Mexican hero on the foreigners' side can smooth things out, but unless the heroes are internationally famous and popular, locals will be uncomfortable with the nosy gringos. The Event Mexico experienced profound change during the early days after the Event. With a highly catholic and superstitious populace, many in Mexico believed the Event signified a sign from God, a miracle from the almighty. Few could agree on what this miracle meant, however. A new branch of Catholicism, known as The Church of Super Saints, was founded in 2002 and has gained massive converts and followers. Indeed, the Event was a very religious experience for Mexico. Crime rates actually fell for a short time as people prayed and got their lives in order. Even twenty years later, Mexico is even more religious than it once was, with a staggering 88% of its population under the belief that the Event was sent by God. Mexican superheroes are the people's darlings. Heroes and villains alike catch t he people's imaginations. The public follows their clashes as if they were a soap opera, and it doesn't take long for the rise of new heroes to spread through social media. Both heroes and villains from Mexico are notably more flashy and over-the-top than their northern neighbors. Superheroes were big business in Mexico, who adopted a Hero Agency system modeled after the ones found in the United States, with one exception--the Mexican agencies have a greater say in how a hero conducts themselves, and the Agency can approve or veto any hero name or costume they want to, for the sake of brand recognition. Things Gone South While Mexico has always struggled with the grasp of the cartels, government corruption, and other criminal activity, things only escalated since the Event. A mysterious, shadowy figure known only as Senor Z began gathering power shortly after the Event changed the world--gathering and empowering drug lords, letting them run their course for a significant cut of the overall profit. Any who refused, died. He named his new organization "SHADOW". The Imperius Invasion consolidated SHADOW's hold on the Mexican drug cartels, as many of Mexico's premier superheroes perished in the "Battle of Chichén Itzá " against Imperius and his forces. After Imperius was defeated and the dust began to settle, violence began to escalate as the druglords prospered and infiltrated even more branches and levels of government. When Mexico partnered with the United States in a new war on drugs in 2019, chaos broke loose as different gangs warred with each other. Things are tense today, as a new generation of heroes rises to combat the continuously escalating violence and drug activity on their streets. Some believe it's a lost cause, but the people of Mexico are optimistic and strong enough to weather this storm. What Mexico will look like on the other side, though, is anybody's guess. Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua This large border city is right across the Rio Bravi (or Rio Grande) from El Paso, Texas, and for years has been the stage for a ghastly series of murders, gang killings, and cross-border conflict. Ciudad Juarez is a growing industrial city with many manufacturing plants belonging to foreign companies, and the four bridges connecting it to El Paso are constantly heavy with freight traffic. Local police have their hands full trying to keep the peace in a city that's grown and continues to grow rapidly and they are simply not equipped to handle the war brewing in the underworld. The strongest organized faction is the Santa Muerte cult, which is successfully expanding its hold on local drug gangs. Ironically, the cult is helping the police indirectly by protecting the territory they have claimed against the advance of American smugglers who are trying to secure contraband routes. Juarez has no paragon citizens anymore; their one paragon, known as "Courageous Blue", died in the Imperius Invasion. But the people who live in the gritty streets have started hearing rumors of a few vigilantes taking up arms to attack gangs. Additionally, there have been sightings of the lost soul and urban legend of La Llorna. The hero from Monterrey, Viento Negro, has visited Juarez several times in her crusade to fight the black market arms trade, and she's not shy about crossing the border into the United States, which strains an already tense relationship between Chihuahua State Police and Texan authorities. La Llorna The legend of the Weeping Woman has many versions throughout Mexico and even extending into the Latino communities in the United States. The basics of the legend speak of a woman who killed her own children, sometimes protecting them, other times out of jealousy, eventually killing herself to then haunt the streets of whatever the city the tale is told, crying out for her dead children. In Ciudad Juarez, the urban legend has apparently come true. Criminals and cartel members are turning up terrified and badly injured. They whisper the Weeping Woman's name as the police drag them away. Because of her, many small-time criminals are starting to get reluctant to go out at night. Some say she is a real ghost--even the ''original La Llorna!--but in reality, she is a vigilante using the reputation of the ghost to her advantage. She is an extremely skilled and brutal combatant, who fights using hypersonic weaponry and the power to induce fear through a strange mist she produces from her sweat glands. Guadalajara, Jalisco Located in western Mexico, Guadalajara is the second largest city in the country, and in the past few decades has made great strides to become Mexico's cultural capital. The city was important during the colonial years and the Mexican founding fathers signed the first abolition of slavery on the entire continent here. Government and private interests sponsored and funded many cultural festivals and renewed the city's infrastructure, but this modernization contrasts with the age of its dangers. Despite being considered the Mexican Silicon Valley, the paranormal has a strong presence here. #Hero Miguel Najera is a young college student attending a tecnhology university when he discovered that he was able to create objects of solid light, like a 3D Printer, and use networked devices as an extension of his senses. He decided to use his powers to help his community, calling himself #Hero. His social media savvy made him an instant hit when he began finding and leaking evidence of corrupt government officials and corporations. #Hero avoids direct confrontation at all cots, fighting through his light constructs while he safely hides and goes elsewhere. He blogs in English and Spanish, but so far nobody has contacted him regarding his exploits or goals. He is, however, eager to help a good cause and would welcome contact from other do-gooders. Angel Ballesteros, Detective Nocturno One of the few paragon heroes to be active since the early days after the Event, Ballesteros is also one of the few to have his identity known to the public. Formerly a Jesuit priest, he left the priesthood following a crisis of faith after the Event and became a private detective, paying the bills with mundane cases. However, as superhuman crime began to escalate, Ballesteros took on a masked persona as Detective Nocturno. It was some months after this that he first discovered the existence of Count Duval (see below), and the two have been locked in a battle of wits ever since. Ballesteros possesses 12th level Superhuman Senses--allowing him to see into the past and the future, telescopic and microscopic vision, ultra-hearing, touch so sensitive that he can read by feeling the ink on his fingers. He can also see auras, can tell if someone is lying simply by looking at them, automatically sees through any illusion, and a grab-bag of other superhuman tricks. Count Karol Duval This Spanish vampire owns an old hacienda outside the city, from which he rules over a gang of vampire thralls that is quietly making forays into the technology industry. A close call with exposure via a smartphone's camera made Duval realize that mortals had new weapons he had never seen before and, even worse, that he didn't control. He'd like to fix that oversight. Hecelchakan, Campeche This small territory is a municipality in the state of Campeche, one of three states in the Yucutan Peninsula, and its capital of the same name is a quiet little city eager to receive and treat tourists to its culinary delights and mix of Mayan and Colonial architecture. The city's name comes from the Mayan word for "savanna of rest", and has been a stop for weary travelers for centuries. Hecelchakan's placid nature has always been the perfect cover for the ancient secrets it held. Not far from the city, one of the peninsula's famous cenotes, or wide sinkholes, penetrates the ground and connects to the entrance of a forgotten temple the Maya erected for unknown reasons. AJ Kana Beej Ka'an Reaching the temple is an ordeal. The first thing one must do is defeat is the area's enjoyable atmosphere, because the temple below generates a powerful effect that makes anyone thinking about exploring the cenote wish instead to simply relax and enjoy themselves elsewhere. Then there's the drop that requires extensive rock climbing experience and specialized gear, as well as a submerged tunnel that doubles back to the starting pool if the visitor's don't have the proper key. At the end of this obstacle course, the pyramid often proves a disappointment. Its construction is certainly unique among Mexican pyramids, and is covered with strange markings and symbols. Other than that, there doesn't appear to be much to see down here. La Inge The last person to mount a major attempt to find the temple was archeologist Silvana Valladares, a brilliant mind and specialist in ancient Mayan culture and languages. She spent many years trying to acquire the key and she left with a large group to study and document the site. The entire team, including Dr. Valladares, vanished. The key itself is lost to this day. Unknown to most, Valladares was the only member of the team to find the temple, where she underwent an unknown experience that transformed her into a super-powered being with colored wings and the ability to speak any language. As La Inge, she has been a notorious villain for several years now. More recently, she was taken into the fold by Senor Z as a part of his organization. Mexico City, Federal District The political, financial, and cultural center of Mexico, the Federal District is a monster of a city, continuously spilling over its boundaries to engulf nearby communities in its urban sprawl; a maze of modern and colonial architecture with wide avenues and narrow cobbled alleys. As the seat of the federal government and all its branches, Mexico City is the choice location for transitional corporations' regional HQ, which brings many foreigners to live either in a transient or permanent capacity. This makes the city a very cosmopolitan place and the country's spearhead with regards to social reforms. Ever since the Event triggered a new age of heroes, with the United States as its epicenter, Senor Z has stepped up activities and used Mexico City as a testing ground and frontlines. While much lower than the activity in New York City and Los Angeles, Mexico City is undergoing an increase in conflicts between heroes and villains; Senor Z is only partially responsible for this increase, planting the seeds and waiting to reap the harvest. Capitan Vecino Omar Gutierrez owns a small grocery store in a dangerous neighborhood. One night, after thwarting a robbery in his store, he decided he'd had enough of the decay and crime gripping his neighborhood and, inspired by the Luchador, made himself a costume and set out to patrol the streets, where he berated vandal youngsters, volunteered for public works, and otherwise offering a helping hand where he could. His neighbors love him, and he quickly became a public darling after receiving YouTube coverage. Small time crooks have tried to teach him a lesson, but he has not only thwarted them, but he captured them, too. Capitan Vecino has no apparent powers, no training, and no backing; everybody agrees that it's a miracle he's still alive. He is an otherwise normal, honest man, but he has the unconscious ability to slightly alter reality through sheer optimism, apparently. Ghostwaker Within the boundaries of Mexico City, a rising figure in the criminal underworld is the enigmatic Ghostwaker; an international dealer in hyper-advanced science and magical artifacts, anything to give supervillains around the world an edge. Those who have seen him describe him as a heavyset, middle-aged man of mixed European and Mexican heritage and impeccably dressed in current business fashion. He is not believed to be truly paranormal, but he wields an array of high-tech gadgets. Ghostwaker's forces are in a sort of gang war in the streets against Senor Z, a conflict that is quickly coming to cost the city without the efforts of the city's main protectors (see below). La Liga de Metaluchadores The "League of Metawrestlers" is a group of professional superheroes and wrestlers who decided to take up the fight for justice. Highly publicized by their managers, most of the athletes who sign up do little more than public appearances, endorsements, and volunteer work, but they fund the operations of the actual group of crimefighters (who limit themselves in the ring) that try to fight crime. Famously, the league has been longtime enemies of Senor Z and the Santa Muerte. The members of the league are flashy, larger than life, and operate under a strict code of honor. The team is considered the premier super-group in Mexico. In their home country, the league actually sells more merchandise and is wildly more popular than 'the Guardians, or similar super teams. Tragically, most of the league fell in battle to Imperius during the Imperius Invasion two years ago. However, in late 2019, a new roster appeared to protect the city from crime. Some of the new heroes are using the codenames of their fallen forebears as a sign of respect and honor. The leader of both incarnations of the team is a paragon named '''Venganza Alada. Additionally, Dinamo, a speedster with fire-based abilities, is the only surviving member of the original team to still operate as a member of the team. Monterrey, Neuvo Leon Located in the Mexican northeast, Monterrey is the third most important city in Mexico, an industrial and business powerhouse hosting some of the most important Mexican companies as well as transnational corporations' branch offices. It's also the most modernized, and it was ranked as the safest city in Latin America until recent years, when the growing influence of Senor Z brought warring drug cartels to the city's streets, taking a complacent government totally by surprise.The city's resident hero, Warbird, died trying to stop the fighting, shocking an already rattled populace. Some of the richest entrepreneurs in the country calls this city home, and they are exerting a lot of pressure on the government to get its act together; some of them are even bringing heroes-for-hire from the United States, which is creating a lot of problems for the local police who are just trying to do their jobs. Worse still, as American heroes are finding their way to the city, villains are beginning to set their sights here, as well. Forklift A former dock worker from New York, he was violently and painfully transformed after interacting with strange chemicals being shipped to Mexico on behalf of SHADOW. Senor Z quickly got wind of what happened and recruited him as an agent. Forklift has little of his former personality remaining and doesn't remember much about his old life, not even his name. He makes his home in Monterrey, where he uses his super-strength, immunity to telepathy, and inability to feel pain to aid in the cartel's fights against imported superheroes. Powellful Frank Powell is a C-list villain from Chicago who jumped at the chance to earn glory and make a living without police or superheroes ruining everything for him. He has his own condo in Monterrey's richest neighborhood, and all he needs to do is go and trounce other losers with his powers. He attacks heroes and villains alike, believing that they are trying to butt in on his sweet deal. He has recently begrudgingly started to take orders from Senor Z. Powell is constantly wowed by footage of Viento Negro and is vexed by her rapid success (see below). He has never met her, but he's vowed to destroy her. One of his big issues is that he doesn't speak a word of Spanish. Viento Negro Monterrey has only one local superhero now; a native hero known as Viento Negro, the former sidekick of Warbird. Today, she is a black-clad vigilante on a crusade against organized crime from both Mexico and the United States. Possessing aerokinesis and an array of high-tech gadgets, she has quickly become a thorn in the side of local criminals and supervillains, earning her a reputation. She speaks English fluently and doesn't trust foreign heroes. Palo Santo, Chiapas A little town in the middle of the Southern Mexican jungle is ground zero of a nefarious criminal plague. The state has international borders with Guatemala and Belize, and is often a point of entry for many immigrant groups headed for the United States. Palo Santo is a few miles from the railroad tracks that lead deeper into Mexico, but because reaching the town by other means is difficult, it has become a resting place for immigrants before they resume their long journey north. Palo Santo tried to resist becoming a criminal haven, but smugglers and human traffickers know they can find business there, which in turn attracted the drug cartels and a local guerrilla group that is clinging to relevance. The town is near a small ruined Toltec temple called Choloakoyapan. A few years ago, an aging mage went to the ruins, seeking a way to protect Palo Santo from the encroaching forces that threatened to engulf it. The rite he enacted was supposed to summon a champion, but he made a mistake during the ritual and instead brought in a new age of darkness. The Santa Muerte The mage brought back from death a lowly member of one of the warring cartels as an undead creature. With one foot in the land of the living and the other on the road to Mictlan, the Nahua underworld, this man had an uncanny understanding of the power of death and gained the power to kill and disintegrate anything he touched. Now calling himself Tepacatlu, the first thing he did after killing the mage was to reunite with his old comrades and persuade them to worship him and his powers. This was the beginning of the cult of the Santa Meurte. It spread like a virus as an alternate religion for drug traffickers, thugs, murderers, and other criminals whose lives were so close to death, they decided they might as well worship it. The cult is now an organization unto itself. Its cultists have wormed their way into the rank and file of criminal organizations and slowly subvert them, thus creating the largest but least identifiable cartel in Mexico. Agents of the cult have clashed with practically every Mexican hero, and they confound Senor Z despite his best efforts to manipulate them. On the other hand, they seem to have stopped SHADOW's spread south by fiercely defending their turf. Cuauhcichuatl A local superhero who claims to be the chosen champion of the ancient gods of Mexico. According to her, the gods closed their gates when the Spanish conquered the land, but were reawakened by the creation of Tepacatlu and took matters into their own hands. Formerly a journalist who was sacrificed by the Santa Muerte, she claims the god of the dead saved her soul and chose her as the gods' champion. Since her mortal body had been flayed, the gods made her a new body; a body that was as strong as Hutzilopochtli, swift as Quetzalcoatl, wise as Tlaloc, canny as Tezcatilpoca, and beautiful as Xochiquetzal. She woke up near a road and made her way back to civilization. Tepacatlu sensed her rebirth and sent a cabal of cultists to take care of her before she got too strong. Cuauhcichuatl handily won that battle and from there, started a crusade. She took a new identity as an online journalist, intent on dismantling the Santa Muerte and stopping Tepacatlu once and for all. San Jacinto de los Jaguares, Guerrero This little town was built far from any road, but is easily reached by two rivers in the southern state of Guerrero. The funny thing is that, although it appears on maps, nobody is really sure how to get there, and its townsfolk would not have it any other way. San Jacinto is an idyllic location, where people lead pastoral lives, untroubled by the escalating war between drug cartels and the government and small guerrilla movements that plague the rest of the state's outback. People here are farmers, shepherds, and artists who have creates a fully self-sustained community. They have no formal law enforcement officials and what little crime they have is resolved by common accord. They want nothing from the outside world, though they seem to be well informed about current events. Part of the town's continued safety, even in recent years, is due to the efforts of a figure known as the Nahaul; a vicious vigilante and shapeshifter, who is able to take on the power and ferocity of animals. The Silent Zone Also known as the Triad Vertex, this patch of desert spans parts of the northern states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango, and is part of the Mapimi Biosphere Reserve. The area gained its nickname due to an intermittent phenomenon where radio waves and other electromagnetic effects simply cease: communications are blocked, cars cannot start, magnets go crazy, and superheros that can manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum in any capacity have their powers nullified. The Triad Vertex is an extremely powerful, if highly unreliable, nexus. Some say that the Mask of Aztlan--an ancient Aztec relic--is hidden somewhere in the region. Rumors abound of strange sentinels that patrol the region; horrible monsters of crystal, stone, and sand. Tijuana, Baja California Norte Dubbed "the Actual Happiest Place on Earth" by American frat boys, Tijuana has the unfair reputation as a "party town" in American media, even though it's considered a global city thanks to its important in international trade and its conurbation with San Diego across the border. Tijuana has one of Mexico's tallest skylines and is growing at a very fast rate. Gang violence in Tijuana peaked around 2008 due to a turf war between rival cartels, but the violence has subsided since Senor Z's organization overpowered their rivals and the Mexican authorities have carried out surgical strikes on drug trafficker's chain of command. Despite the fragile peace and dubious security, Tijuana is a magnet for immigration from the rest of Mexico, the rest of the world, and even from other dimensions. The conflict has attracted the attention of the fae hero "Antler Avenger". The few open forays he's made across the border into Mexico were met with polite requests that he leave and mind his own business. He met Viento Negro when the Mexican hero was tracking a shipment of extradimensional weaponry back to its source, and they have helped each other several times in their cross-border adventures. Talachas Since early 2019, Tijuana's local hero has become Talachas; a paragon who wears a bulky suit of powered armor. He is known to possess some sort of superpower, but it is not publicly known what it is.